Printing press



Sept.- 2z 1925. I 1,554,355 c. A. KELLOGG 4 PRIN ING mass Filed'Dec. 15,1919 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 22,-1925.

C.- A. KELLOG G rain-rue PRESS Filed Dec. 15, 1919 v QSheOiS-Shflt 2Patented Sept. 22, 1925. V

UNITED STATES" CARL AL KELLOGG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PRINTING PRESS.

Application; filed December 15, 1919. Serial No. 344,953.

To all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, CARL A, liELLOGG, a citizen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of NewYork,haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in PrintingPresses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates particularly to means for securing accurateimpressions on either a w eblor a sheet of paper, or other appropriatematerial, placed between .pressure members adapted tocontact with theopposite faces of the web or sheet.

In practice, it has heretofore been deemed impossible to. take animpression of a flat form on a web or sheet ofany considerable size byusing a straight-tacedor substantiallyqstraight-taced platen, withoutpro ducing wrinkles in thepaper orother material printed upon. causedpartly'by air intervening-between the platen andthe web or sheet.Besides, in web printing, it has been-found that most rolls of paper areso unevenly wound that one side or edge longer than the other, therebyproducing a tight anda loose side or edge, and when an attemptvwas madeto print such a web with a flat or substantially fiat impressionsurface, it was discovered to be impracticable as the web would becomebadly wrinkled on the loose side and yield prints that were unreadable.Where the web has even sides,the air between it and the impressionsurface forms "a pocket or pockets, which causes wrinkles in the web asit is pressed against the form.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide simple andeliicient means for smoothingthe web or sheet and holding 40 thesamesmooth during the interval of im* pression. The means providedforces out the air from between the impression member and the paper tobe printed, and corn 1 pensates as wellfor the tight and loose sides Tbed."

' ofunevenly rolled paper as it isspread over the face of the impressionmember. i Another, ob ect lsthe PTOVlSlOIl Of means for guiding theimpression member in a substantially straight line during its entiremovement, thereby 'insuringdirect contact ofthe'paper witlrthe form" inaplane normal to the latter, and permitting theiuse of suchv a platen;conjunction with aform Such wrinkles are A further object is to provideimproved means for temporarily holding the web or sheet to the platen,and subsequently strip ping the printed web or, sheetfrom the form bylifting one end or side thereof in advance of the other, i

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparentfrom the hereinafter detailed description, taken in conjuno tion' with,the accompanying drawings,

' In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated difi'erent practicalembodiments of the invention, but the constructions herein shown are tobe understood as illustrative only, andnot as defining the limits of theinvention. i I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bed-andplaten machine embodying theinvention; and, v

Figure 2 is "a similar view involving a modified form r of theinvention.

The machine illustrated is a web printing press,'and,;in the interest ofbrevity and conoiseness, it will be described herein solely withreference to the production of prints on'paper Webs. It is to beunderstood, however, that the invention is not limited to thisparticular typeof printing press, but contemplates the application ofthe improve ments, either in wholeor input, to print ing presses ofvarious types, as a curved platen, and, moreover, it is adapted for Vprinting on separate sheets as well as on continuous webs.- i

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent-respectively, the opposingmembers of a printing couple, which in the present exemplification ofthe invention embodies a platen reciprocable toward and awaytrom abed'ot co-related dimensions. The platen is preferably located directlyabove the bed, but this arrangement is immaterial to the invention, (asthe opposite members of the couple might be positionedotherwise, andstill be capable of performing their respective functlons. The bed 2'isrecessed, as at F, to receive a form or printing-sections adapted tobeassembled in a suitable arrangement.

The platen 1 may be reciprocated in a vertical plane, or perpendicularlywith relation to the bed 2, by any suitable power connections,including, for instance, intermeshing gears and has a fiat working faceand C1a11l -CllSl S 3 and 4, mounted on shafts 5 and (3, respectively,as shown in Figure 1. Rods 7 and 8, connected at their upper ends to thesaid gears by means of wrist pins 9 and 10, and to the sides of theplaten 2 at their lower ends, by pivot pins 11 and 12, furnish the meansfor raising and lowering the platen alternately in the operation of themachine. These instrumentalities, it will be understood, are duplicatedon the opposite sides of the press.

In order to maintain the platen 1 in correct position relatively to thesubjacent bed 2, the former is provided with one or more guideways, as13, engaged by a boss or a corresponding number of bosses 14, integrallyformed wit-h or rigidly secured to the frame of the machine. Thearrangement is such, that the under face of the platen will be heldsquarely opposite-the upper face of the bed and form thereon at alltimes. Bearers 15 at the lower edges of the platen are adapted to comeinto contact with similar bearers 16 on the upper edges of the bed, thelatter being placed substantially at the type-line. These bearers insuregood printing by limiting the movement of the opposed members of theprinting couple toward each other.

Cushionin devices are areferabl e111;

a l y ployed to prevent undesirable shocks or concussion when the platenand bed come together, These devices may consist of plungers, 17arranged to enter air chambers 18, and whilst inactive normally, orduring a considerable part of the travel of the mov able member of thecouple, so as not to impedethe same, will serve to take up the of thecontacting parts in such manner as to result in an easy movement at theend of the travel of the movable member or members of the printingcouple toward one another, thereby enabling the machine to be run at amuch higher speed than could be done with less favorable conditions. Ifdesired, similar air-cushions may be provided to check the movementofthe platen onthe upstroke as well as on the clown-stroke.

The web, indicated in the drawings by X, is shown as being conducted tothe platen by passing it first between an in-feed roller 19, and tapes20, which surround a series of rollers 21. Thence the web is led over aguide roller 22, and under a looping roller 23, which forms part of anequalizing appliance, designedto compensate for irregularities in thefeeding of the web. From this appliance the web passes up over anotherguide roller 2%, then under a web lifting roller 25, whereupon it is ledin a straight cou se beneath the lower face of the platen, to theout-feed mechanism. The latter includes :1 web lifting roller .26, aspring prt .d tensioning roller 27, a looping roller 28, forming part ofan equalizer, a guide roller 29, tapes 3O surrounding a second series ofrollers 21, and an out-feed roller 31, all of which are practicallycounterparts of the several elements included in the in-feed mechanism,as above described.

Oppositely inclined guideways shown as channel bars 33, are attached tothe sides of the machine frame beyond the ends of the platen, toaccommodate slides 32, carrying the web lifting rollers 25 and 26. Theseslides may be reciprocated by any suitable means, such for instance ascams 3d and 35, respectively connected by arms 36 and 37, to the axlesof the web lifting rollers. The said arms, itwill be seen, have pivotand slot connections withthe rollers, and further include intermediatejoints, as at 38 and 39, permitting tier-don of the arms as the cams arebeing revolved. The latter are mounted on the shafts 5 and 6, previouslymentioned.

A bar 10 is placed transversely of the under surface of the platen tohold the web thereto at the time of taking an impression. This bar,however, is not indispensable, as it will be obvious that other meansmight be substituted for it to discharge the same function. Still othermeans could likewise be employed instead of the mechanisms hereinbeforedescribed for feeding the web into the machine, holding it at rest whilein en gagement with either member of the printing couple, and moving orshifting it, whereby spaced impressions are produced on the web. Themeans herein disclosed, however, are well adapted to the purpose.

From the foregoing description the operation of the invention, thusdescribed will be readily understood, but it may be described, briefly,as follows. The in-feed roller 19 and tapes 20, passing around therollers 21, feed the web X into the machine continuously, while theout-feed roller 31 and tapes 30 will pay out the web similarly withoutinterruption. The looping rollers 23 and 28 serve to hold the webstationary at the impression surface of the platen, while the same isholding the web against the bar 40, until after the platen has completedan impression and started on its return move ment, This is accomplishedby the looping roller 23 moving down to take up the web as fast as it isfed in by the roller 19 and tapes 20, and the roller 28 will move up todeliver the web to the out feed roller 31. These looping rollers willthen be reversed, the roller 23 moving up, and the roller 28 movingdown, this movement of the looping rollers operating, in conjunctionwith the in feed and out feed rollers, to shift the web the desiredextent. The said looping rollers may be operated by a cam and connectinglever in a well known manner. From the out feed mechanism, the web maybe led to any predetern'iined point, or to other printing couples, asdesired.

As shown in Figure 1, the bar is flat faced, and made to extend acrossthat part of the platen which projects beyond the leftend of the bed 2.It is held to the face of the platen by a pair of rods 41, pivotallyconnected therewith, one at each side ofrthe machine, and passingthrough brackets 42 and 43. The rods '41 are held normally raisedthrough the agency'of springs 44, coiled around them between thebrackets, which are fixed to the frame. The upper end of each one ofthese .rods has a pivot and slot connection with an arm 78 pivoted at 79, on the boss 14. The arm 7 8 carries a roller 80, engaged by a cam 45,on theshaft 5 and this camis :so shaped as to allow the bar 40 to'beraised by the spring 44 a little slower than the web is lifted, therebykeeping it clear of the web on its upward movement. The holding bar 40isforced downward by. the platen against the tension of the spring 44,vand the cam 45' will hold the bar down in the position indicated at46,.alittle after the platen has started on its upward stroke. The arm 78 androller 80,

self. In that case it'need not beyielding or spring-pressed to theplaten.

' 'Inthe present embodiment of the invention, the web is smoothed down'upon the working face of the platen by positioning thereagainst aroller 47. Roller 47 is moved across the'platen, and affords a means offorcing the air from between the; web or sheet and 'the impressionsurface, thereby preventing wrinkles in the paper and an illegibleproduction. The said roller 47 is revolvably mounted in an arm 48, of abellcrank or angular leverpivoted as atl90, on

a bracket or carriage 52, supporting the ,form rollers 51,hereinafterdescribed.

A spring 49 attached to the same bracket and to the other arm of theangular lever, operates to swing the said arm 48 upward and consequentlyto press the roller 47 toward the face of the platen. The arm 48,bracket 52, and spring 49 are duplicated on the opposite side of theplaten, as the roller 47'is made to extend fully across the working faceof the latter, the same as the web holding bar 40, previously described.

, The"r oller47 previously referred to,uis rotated over the'face oftheplaten, in order to smooth out the web X thereon and expel theair "frombetween the web and platen, byit-s reciprocation with the bracket 52,which is fast to a chain 53, shown in dot and dash lines only, and thissmoothing roller. will take the position at the right of the bed 2, asindicated at 56, when the impression is being made. Starting at the leftof the bed, the roller 47 is held down out of contact with the web X bya guide 61, until it reaches a normally open gate 62 therein, adapted toclose an opening 63. The gate being open, the gap 63 allows the roller47 to be raised by the arm 48 and spring 49 to the position shown infull lines, against the first'named guide 60. Then the gate 62 returnsto its normal position, thereby pro ducing the gap or opening 63, whichallows the roller to pass through on its next move ment to the right.

The holding and smoothing devices hereinabove described are shown infull lines at their highest points, just as the platen is loweredagainst the web. Like the hold.- ing bar 40, as before stated, thesmoothing roller 47 might also be carried on the platen.

The position of the web on the platen is indicated by full lines inFigure 1. As there shown, the platen has just been low ered. intocontact with the web, the latter,

intervening between the platen and the holding bar 40. The smoothingroll 47 is represented as having passed up through the gap or opening 63intermediate the guides 60 and 61,.on its movement to the right. Thelooping rollers 23 and 28 are then moved so as to hold the web at restwhile the platen continues its descent. In the meantime the roller 47 isrotated across the face of the platen and smooths out the web thereon,while the spring roller 27 rises and takes up any unevenness of the webrolled forward by the smoothing roller. The dot and dash lines show therun of the web during the interval. of impression.

The chain 53, before referred to, is an endless chain extending aroundsprocket wheels 54. and 55, the same being duplicated at the other sideof the machine. The duplicate chains are reciprocated forward and backso as to impart a like movement to the form rollers .50and 51, which arearranged to take inkfrom a cylinder 57 (shown in dotted lines) or fromany other suitable source. As illustrated, the cylinder 57' is mountedat the left end of the bed, and is supplied with ink by a roller H. The

ink may be made to flow from any desired shown) as it is applied to theform F on the bed by means of the rollers 50, 51.

The means shown for reciprocating the chains 58 include a shaft 64,driven from any suitable part of the machine, and gears and 66, looselymounted on the said shaft. These gears are in mesh with an intermediategear 68, on the sprocket wheel 54. The said means further comprise acrank disk 78, arms 74-, 75, 69, a rod 70, a spring pressed rod 77, atoothed part on the gear 66, and projections 71, 72 on. the rod 70.Another toothed part 67 is slidably keyed to the shaft 6%. As the rollerbracket 52 nears the end of its stroke to the right, it strikes theprojection 72, thereby moving in the same direction the rod and arm 69,through the medium of a sleeve K, fast on the latter named rod. It alsomoves the upper end of the arm 69, which is bifurcated to engage a pinon the rod 70. This causes the toothed part on the arm 69 to move to theright out of mesh with both the clutch members on the gears 65, 66, andallows the chains 53 to remain stationary the required length of time totake the impressions. The rotation of the disk 73 is 1 to 2, relativelyto the disks 3 and 4, and so timed as to move the toothed part 67 intomesh with the tooth face of the gear 66, and thereby cause the chains 53to be reversed, as soon as the impressions are taken. As the rollerbracket 52 nears the end of its stroke to the left, it strikes theprojection 71, thus moving the toothed part- 67 out of engagement withboth the gears 65 and 66, when again the chains are at rest.

The means employed for raising and lowering the web into and out ofcontact with the impression member 1 and the form F are such that theweb is held free and clear of the platen while it is being shifted aheadbetween the looping rollers 23 and 28 on upward movement of theimpression member, and will be moved down with the said impressionmember from the time the platen contacts with the web at the holding bar40. They will hold the web down until the platen has taken theimpression and has risen from the form. The web lifting rollers willthen raise the web from the form a little slower than the platen. Thisis accomplished as will be obvious by proper shaping and timing theoperating means employed. The means herein shown for moving the web X upand down embodies the rollers 25 and 26, heretofore described, which areactuated by the cams 3 L and 35, and slide in the guides 32 and 33. Themovement of the web lifting means is preferably such that the length ofthe web will not be changed between the guide rollers 2t and 27,although the web is compelled to take different heights and anglesbetween the members of the printing couple.

One of the web lifting rollers, as 26, may be made to move a littleahead of the other lifting roller by the proper timing or shaping of thecam 35. By setting cam a little in advance of cam 84, the web will helifted by the roller 26 gradually from the form, thereby stripping theweb therefrom slowly and relieving the strain that would be put upon theweb were it lifted bodily all at once, particularly from a large form ora number of forms assembled on the bed, and especially so where a heavy,tacky ink is used.

The construction of Figure 2 is similar in many respects to that ofFigure 1, and, accordingly, in the interest of brevity the descriptionthereof will be more or less limited to the differentiating features.

The modified construction embodies the members 1 and 2 of the printingcouple, the former of which is raised and lowered as described by thelinks 7 and 8, it being guided meanwhile by the guide 18 and the web isfed between the platen and bed by the in feed roller 19 and the out feedroller 31 with each of which co-operates traveling tapes. However, inthis modification instead of moving the looping rollers 23 and 28alternately in vertical directions, the looping roller 23 is mounted foroscillation on av shaft 90 which carries the guide roller 23 and ismovable in the are of a circle as shown by the dot and dash line Abetween the position shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 2. In likemanner the roller 28 is mounted for oscillation about a shaft 91 whichcarries the guide roller 27 and is mov able in an arcuate path shown inthe dot and dash line B between the positions shown in dot and dashlines to the right of Figure 2. These rollers are preferably operated insynchronism to simultaneously swing in a clockwise direction and then inthe reverse direction, through the employment of suitable links, leversand cams as will be clearly understood. Through the operation of thelooping rollers 23 and 28, as described, it will be noted that on theirdownward travel they will carry the web downwardly and lay it on theform and in subsequent movement in the reverse direction which serves tostrip the web from the form. It will thus appear that in theconstruction under con sideration the looping rollers have the dualfunction of advancing the web with intermittent periods of rest or dwelland also serve to position the web upon and strip it from the form. Bysuch construction the employment of the lifting rollers 25 and 26 shownin Figure 1. is obviated since their function is carried out by thelooping rollers.

It will be noted in Figure 2 that the uppermost positions of the rollers23 and 28 are such as to support the web' in a plane below the uppermostposition of the platen 1 as shown in dot and dash lines and it furtherfollows that duringthe operation of the machine the rollers 23' and 28not only stri the web from the form but also free it from engagementwith the platen. In practicethe operating paits are so constituted thatthe web is raised at a slightly slower speed than the platen whereby theoperation of advancing the web is accomplished whilethe web is freefromengagement with "both the palten and form, and also provide for theholding of the web stationary during impression. 1 v

The form rollers 50 and 51 are supported torevolve in arms e carried bybrackets 52 supported on chains 53 and are so constituted that theroller 50 will ink theform when the bracket 52 is moved in one directionwhereas the roller 51 willink the formwhen the bracket is moved in theother direction. The form rollers 50 and 51 maybe supplied with ink froman ink drum, as described with reference to Figure 1, the chains 53being similarly operated.

Each bracket 52 carries a pivotal rocker having a depending trip f andto this rocker are secured the arms 6. As the chains 53 are reciprocatedto move to the right in Figure 2, the tri f engages with a stop g, rigidwith the rame of the machine and oscillates the rocker so as to lift theform roller 50 and lower the form roller 51.; Between the rollers, andcarried by the brackets 52 is an ink distributing roll d and during themanipulation ofthe rollers 50 and 51, as described, the former is movedfree from the rolls d while the latter is shifted into contacttherewith. During the subsequent movement of the chains 53 to the left,the form rollers pass over; the form with the roller 50 free fromengagement therewith and with the roller 51 serving to apply ink to theform. As the form roller nears the ink drum the trip f engages with thestops h which serves to rock bothrollers in aneutral position so thatthey will both engage with the ink drum and be charged thereby. However,as the form rollers reach the terminus of their travel the trip'fengages with a stop 70 which reverses the position of the rollersto'bring the roller 50 into engagement with the distributor roll andinto position to ink the form while the roller 51 is moved to idle orinoperative position above thetype line. It is when the form rollers aremoving from left to right the roller 50 will do the inking and in movingfrom right to left the roller 51 will be in operation.

Just before the periodof impression the web is held to the platen bybars 40 and 40" corresponding to the bar 410 of Figure 1. The bars 10and s0 will serve to alternately hold the web to the platen dependingupon the direction of operation of the smoothingroller 47, it beingdesirable that the web be held tight at the edge of the platenrearwardly of the roller 17 and loosely at the end forwardly of saidroller to readily allow of the smoothing of the web on the platen. Thisoperation of the bars 40 and 10 into and out of contact with the web atthe faceof the platen maybe accomplished by a crank disk 104 operatingthrough arm105 having connection through both cranks 103 with the rods102, the opposite ends of which are secured to the rods 41 and l whichcarry the bars 10 and 40 The upper ends of the rods 11 and 41 have apivot and slot connection with arms 7 8 and 78? normally forced upwardagainst 45 and 4:5 by springs 14: and 4& The springs 44 and 14 tend tolift the bars 40 and 10 in a positionto hold the web against the platenduring impression while the crank disk 104, serves through theconnection specified, to shift the bars 40 and 10 alternately inopposite directions to alternately engage the web to hold it to theplaten. from the platen they are supported against the tension of thesprings 44 and 4: by

brackets Q and R which extend beyond the ends of the platen as shown.The cams 45 and 45 serve to govern the elevation of the bars by theiroperating springs and, in practice, these cams are so shaped and timedthat the bars are raised. at a silghtly slower speed than the platen tofree them from the web and to allow of the freeing of the web from theplaten so that the web may be advanced without friction withthese parts.The cams a5 and 45 as Well as the crank disk 104 may be simultaneouslyactuated in synchronism with the shafts 5 and 6 through the trains ofgears 0, on, n and P the pitch lines of which are shown in dot and dashlines .in the drawings.

The smoothing roll 47 operates back and hen these. bars are moved freeforth across the platen in both directions and is supported at itsopposite ends by arms ,98 mounted for pivotal movement on an endlesschain 92. The arms 93 project beyond the pivots S and carry weights 9-1which serve to overbalance the roller 47 and hold it against the web.This mounting, however, allows the roller to be forced down by theplaten when thesame descends from the full line position down into itsdotted line position as shown at 96. The operations of the chains 53 and92 are so coordinated that the form rollers 50 and 51 move over theformin advance of the smoothing roller 4:7 in either direction of theirtravel and the operation of these parts during the movement of theplates is as follows.

Starting with the parts in position shown in Figure 2 wherein the chains53 and 92 are moving in the direction of the arrows C and 97respectively, the form roller 51 continues to traverse the form and thesmoothing roll 47 the web. When the form rollers have left the bed andcome into the vicinity of the ink drum the roll 17 will havesubstantially reached the left end of the bed 2. During the greateroperation of this movement to the left it has rolled over the web andsmoothing it on the platen and the descending platen hasibeen constantlyforcing down the roller until by the time the members go on toimpression, the trunnions at the end of the rolLA? will have been forceddown into the bifurcated ends the levers 98. The lower ends of thelevers 98 cooperate with cams 100 so synchronized that during theimpression period their rotation will hold the roll 47 at substantiallythe ty ac line but when the form rollers start their return movement andthe platen starts toraise the low face of the cam will cooperate withthe arms 98 and force the smoothing roll down to the dot and dash linepositioned at 95 so that during the passage of the form rollers, thesmoothing roll will be held depressed and free from engagementtherewith. hen the form rollers have passed, the arms 98 are swung backby the cams 100 and the F weights 9d lift the smoothing roll and allowthe chains 92 to carry the smoothing roll in the opposite direction.When the smoothing roll reaches the terminus of its travel tothe right,it is there engaged by arms 99 corresponding to the arms 98, and a cam101, operating in the same manner as cam 100, depresses said smoothingroll into the dotted line position 96 to allow of the re versal of theelements at the right hand side of the machine. In the manner describedthe form rollers and smoothing roll move from right to left and fromleft to right, the form rollers always leading and the parts reversingautomatically at the opposite terminii of their respective travels.

It will be understood that in both forms of the invention the parts aremounted on a suitable frame which forms a. skeleton of the machine. Theconstruction of this frame will be clear to those skilled in the art,and, accordingly, in the drawings I have only shown asmall portionthereof which is designated by the reference numeral 200, and also themovements for the different elements or mechanisms I havenot deemed itnecessary to show as any skilled mechanic can readily supply the partsand the movements for same.

It will be understood that changes in form and details, such as thesubstitution of equivalents may be made in the structure describedwithout materially departing from the invention, the scope of which iscommensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as, new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a printing press, a printing couple embodying members havingrelative movement toward and away from each other, and means foreffecting such movement, in combination with web smoothing mechanismoperable to smooth the web when the print ing mechanism: is offimpression.

2. In a printing press, a printing couple embodying a platen member anda form member, means for effecting relative movement between the platenand form members to move said members on and ofi' impression, means forguiding a web between the members of the printing couple and means,movable between the members of the printing couple, while offimpression, forthe purpose of smoothing out the web and cansing it tolie fiat on the impression member.

3. In a printing press, a printing couple embodying a platen member anda form member, means for efiecting relative movement between the platenand form members to move said members on and off impression, means forguiding a web between the members of the printing couple, means movablebetween the members of the printing couple, while off impression for thepurpose of smoothing out the web and causing it to lie flat on theimpression member, in combination with means associated with the webguiding means for taking up the slack in the web resulting from theoperation of smoothing said web.

at. In a printing press, a printing couple embodying a platen member anda form member, means for effecting relative movement between the platenand form members to move said members on and off impression, means forguiding a web between the members of the printing couple, means movablebetween the members of the printing couple, while off impression for thepurpose of smoothing out the web and causing it to lie flat ou theimpression member, in combination with means for maintaining the webunder tension for the purpose of taking up any slack therein resultingfrom the smoothing operation.

5. In a printing press, printing mechanism in combination with a rollerfor smoothing out the web while said web is off impression and means forguiding the movement of said roller.

6. In a printing press, a printing couple embodying a form andimpression member,

means for effecting movement between said members to successively movethem on and off lmpression, means for guldmg the Web between saidmembers, smoothing means operable between said members while offimpression to cause the web to lie smooth upon the impression member andmeans for holding the web against slipping relative to the impressionmember during the smooth ing of the web thereon.

7. A printing couple embodying a form member and a straight face platenco-operating therewith, means for moving the platen on and offimpression, means for guiding the web between the platen and the formmember, said guiding means embodying web engaging members positionednear either end of the platen and mounted independently of the platen,and means for moving said members to strip the web from the form afterimpression.

8. A printing couple embodying a form member and a straight face platenco-operating therewith, means for moving the platen. on and offimpression, means for guiding the web between the platen and the formmember, said guiding means embodying rolls positioned near either end ofthe platen, means for raising and lowering the rolls to strip the webfrom the form after impression, and means movable between the platen andform while the printing couple is off impression to smooth the web onthe impression surface of the platen, said rolls serving to hold the webin smooth condition on the impression surface of the platen when theplaten goes on impression.

9. In a web printing machine, a printing couple, means for moving onemember of the couple on and off impression, means for freeing a web fromone member of the couple, said means being operable to cause the web todwell during impression.

10. In a printing press, a printing couple,

means for moving the members of the printing couple off and onimpression, and means for guiding a web between the members of sa1dcouple, said means embodying means for simultaneously lifting and loop-'couple, and mechanism movable over one member of said couple to smoothout the material to be printed on prior to impression.

13. In a printing machine, a printing couple, means operable to move onemember of said couple off and on impression and v means operable tosmooth out the material to be printed upon prior to impression.

14. A printing machine having a couple including a form bed and aplaten, one of which is movable towards and from the other for purposesof impression, means for supporting the paper at one end. of the platen,and a device movable across the platen prior to impression contactingwith the paper to smooth the same upon the platen.

16. A printing machine having a couple including a form bed and aplaten, one of which is movable towards and from the other for purposesof impression, means for smoothing the paper upon the platen prior toimpression, and means for withdrawing the paper from the platen afterimpression, operable to detach the paper gradually from one end of theplaten towards the other.

17 A printing machine having a couple including a form bed and a platen,one of which is movable towards and from the other for purposes ofimpression, means for smoothing the paper upon the platen prior toimpression, means for retaining the paper in smoothed condition upon theplaten during impression, and means for withdrawing the paper from theplaten after impression, operable to detach the paper gradually from oneend of the platen towards the others.

18. A printing machine having a couple including a form bed and aplaten, one of which is movable towards and from the other for purposesof impression, and devices coacting with the respective members of thecouple when separated between impressions, one such device being a formink-- ing roller, and the other device being operable to smooth thepaper upon the platen ready for impression.

19. In a printing machine, a printing couple, one member of which isprovided with an impression surface, means for positioning material tobe printed upon on such surface, a mechanical device mounted formovement over said impression surface and operable to smooth out saidmaterial on said surface prior to impression, and means for impartingmovement to said device.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speclfication.

CARL A. KELLOGG.

